Bears select Ray Guy Award punter with No. 122 overall pick |
The Chicago Bears selected Iowa punter Tory Taylor with the No. 122 pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday afternoon.
Taylor was the first specialist chosen in the draft and was the No. 1 punter on Mel Kiper's Big Board. He is the second-highest-drafted punter since 2012. The Aussie had 4,479 punting yards, breaking an 85-year-old NCAA record, and was also named the Ray Guy winner this past season as well as the team's MVP. 103 of Taylor's punts went for 50 or more yards, and he ended with a 46.3 career yard average. Check out some of social media's reaction of the pick: Two minutes of the best punter in college football Tory Taylor for your viewing pleasure pic.twitter.com/Wp7VESK283 When do you take a punter in Round 4? Bears new Punter Tory Taylor is superstar. What a freaking LEG, #Bears new punter pic.twitter.com/0Rslxq7cC5 Tory Taylor A Brit announcing an Aussie? Iconic pic.twitter.com/kzTmm7AtRl New Bears punter Tory Taylor said he already received a text message from QB Caleb Williams. It said: "Hey, you're not going to punt too much this year."
1. When it's Tory Taylor
2. When you struggled at punting the previous season
3. When the Day 3 talent isn't what it usually is
Best Bears pick in years, if not decades.
Taylor is now the second highest drafted punter since 2012. He's that good. pic.twitter.com/OurguLVSFL
∙ 81.4 punting grade in 2023 (12th among CFB punters)
∙ 116 punts inside 20 since 2020 (37 more than next best CFB punter)
Weapon 💪 pic.twitter.com/muFuuWCnYv
